Repeating alarm clock



Nov. 24, 1953 R. GARY REPEATING ALARM CLOCK Filed Nov. 12. 1949 INVENTOR.

ROBERT GARY FIG. 6

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 195 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REPEATING ALARM CLOCK Robert Gary, Baltimore, Md.

Application November 12, 1949, Serial No. 126,812

4 Claims.

This invention relates to horological apparatus and more particularly to alarm clocks and the control for the alarm.

The customary alarm has a mechanism that sets off the alarm and allows it to run for a definite period, if mechanically arranged, or continuously if electrically energized. The alarm may be manually shut off in either instance by the operator while the alarm is signaling, by pushing in a rod-operated catch. The practical objection to this lies in the fact that the operator may be awakened by the alarm, and after shutting it off, go on to sleep again, and wake eventually at a time much later. Since the object of the alarm is usually to waken the user at a certain time and have him get up or do something, his going back to sleep after shutting off the alarm and awakening later offsets any advantages that the clock may have in this regard. Appreciating the frailty of human nature and its tendency to caused tired individuals to oversleep, this invention is designed to anticipate this situation by providing an alarm clock with a repeatedly actuated alarm mechanism, that will operate at predetermined intervals. This arrangement allows the user to selectively shut off the first alarm through the use of a temporary stop, or to use the final stop to shut off the mech anism so the alarm will not be repeated. When the user desires to sleep after the first alarm is sounded he shuts off the first alarm through the use of the temporary stop, and goes back to sleep until the second alarm is sounded. He stops the second alarm by using the final stop. The purpose of the repetition is to permit the clock to resound the alarm if it should be shut off by the user and neglected by him, so that it will serve as a reminder.

Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved alarm clock mechanism that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved alarm clock mechanism that will have a repeating alarm that will sound at different intervals, after being shut off, so the user can be warned or reminded several times.

A further object of the invention is to provide an alarm clock that will repeat its signals at various times according to the requirements of the user.

Other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully set forth.

For a clearer understanding of the invention its objects and the principles thereof, reference is made to the attached drawings. These drawings when used in conjunction with the following description outline a particular form of the invention by way of example, not in limitation, while the claims emphasize the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an alarm clock embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 3;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the shifter mechanism used in this invention.

Similar reference numerals relate to the same parts throughout the drawings.

In the construction shown in the drawings, a conventional clock housing I0 contains the general works ll of a clock, including the various gears [2, the main spring I3 and the supporting frame M. These works also include the customary balance wheel 83 mounted on shaft 8|, the anchor 84 and the escapement wheel 80. The face [5 of the clock has a minute hand [6 and an hour hand IT, and a hand or indicating device l8 for indicating the time at which the alarm is to sound. The alarm consists of a bell I9 which is struck at predetermined intervals by a hammer 20 operated by a mechanism and gear train 2| through the action of a spring 22 and controlled by a ratchet and pawl and a shaft 25 for winding the spring 22 through the use of a key 21. The alarm mechanism is mounted on the frame M as are the general works and the frame is extended suitably to hold it in a convenient position. The alarm mechanism is controlled by a flat spring shifter member 33 attached on one end 34 to the framework I4 with a catch 26 formed at the other end. The catch 26 engages the end 82 of the hammer rod 35 so it and the hammer cannot vibrate, unless released, by gear 43 and shifter 33, when the gear 43 is revolved by works H. When the catch 26 is pushed from the neutral position shown in Figure 3, the hammer 2% is free to strike the bell it! to give out the alarm, through the action of the spring 22 and gear train 2|, because the catch 26 has moved out of engagement with the end 82 of the hammer rod 35 thus permitting the hammer rod 35 to vibrate in a plane parallel to the frame l4 and to sound the first alarm by causing the hammer 20 to strike the bell IS. The shifter member 33 normally is positioned in neutral with its lower end 25 engaging the end 82 0f the hammer rod 35 to restrain the hammer 20 from striking the bell 19 when the alarm lock 28 is not positioned in the lug 29 attached to the hammer rod 35. This hammer rod is pivoted between its ends on a shaft 85. The alarm lock 28 is provided with a groove 30 that acts as a stop when the lock 28 is pulled out of engagement with the lug 29 and contacted by spring 3|. The shifter 33 is provided with an elongated opening 32 that fits around the undercut portion 36 of the cam component 31. The catch 26, which is fashioned from the end of the spring shifter 33, will move out of engagement with the end 82 of the hambutton 48 is in and the undercut I40 is aligned with the dog I45. The ends of the cam component 31 are counterbored at 38 and have their ends faced off square at 39a'n'd" I39a'n'd are D vided with an angular undercut as shown at 40 and I40. The cam component 31 is slidably mounted on an alarm setting; shaft 4| and: is rotated by a gear 43 attached thereto. The alarm shaft is also provided with'a hand It to designate the hour set out on the alarm dial at whichthe alarm isto sound. The shaft-4|: is also provided with dogs 45 and- I45-which are ailixedthereto against lateral or relative rotary movement. When it is desired to use the alarm portion of the clock, the knob 45 attached to shaft H is turned until the alarm hand I points to the hour selected on dial, the gear 43 is rotated by long gear 41 actuatedby the works II. As the gear 43 rotates-the cam-c0mponent 31, the face 39 presses against the face of thedog 45 and Dreventsthe cam element 31 from being moved laterally along shaft 4| by the tension of thespring shifter 33. When the movement of the spring shifter is prevented. the catch 26 thereotis kept in engagement with the end 82 of the hammer rod 35, thus preventing the alarm from sounding-until the undercut is alignedwith the do When this occurs, the 'carnlcomnonent 31 is moved laterally along shaft 4| by the shifter 33 a distance sufficient to allow the catch 26 to move out of en agement-with the-end '82 of the hammer. rod 35, thus permitting the said rodand itshammer 20 to strike the bell I9 when the button "is in the out-position as shown in Figure 3. When the personis awakened he presses on the button '48 which moves an alarm stop, downward so that the bent or lug portion IS on thestoo 55 will press against a hump 49 and move the shifter and camcomnonent'towards the dog I45 so that the face I39 will ride against the face of the dog I45 until thecut I40 is aligned therewith to allowthe end 26 of the shifter 33 to be disengaged and the hammer to strike the bell I9 at an interval preferably fifteen minutes after the first alarm has been sounded. To shut off the second alarm the but ton 50 is pushed in so the alarm lock 28 is engaged with the lug 29. The cuts 40 and I40 are preferably set 15 minutes out of phasewith each other, the do s 45 and I45 are preferably ali ned. but other intervals maybe selected between the first and second alarmn Thus in the general operation of the clock; its works II actuate it in a conventional manner to turn the-minute hands through their us'ual cycles.

Whilebut one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specification; it is not desired to limit this application -for patent to this particular form, as it is appreciated that other forms of const'ruc tioncouldbe made that would use the same brin ciples and comewithin-the scope of the appended claims;

Having thus described the -invention,' whatis claimed is:

1. In combination with a clock mechanism, an alarmsystem comprising a gong, a hammer for striking said gong, mechanism constantly tending to'actuate theuhammer and meansfor alter nately constraining and releasing said mecha- 4 includi'rigaj cam having a pair of oppositely located faces, said cambeing constantly rotated by the clock mechanism, an alarm setting shaft extending through said cam and on which said camis slidably and rotatably mounted, means on said shaft for selectively engaging the opposite faces ofthe cam, a shifter engaging said cam and controlled thereby, locking means between sald'shifter'arid hammer, said locking means normally' preventing actuation of the hammer to strike the gong and said locking means releasing the hammerto strike the gong upon rotation of the cam to a predetermined setting of the aforesaid alarm setting shaft. H

2; In'combination with a clock mechanism, an alarm system comprising a gong, a hammer for striking said gong-mechanism constantly tending to actuate the hammer and means for alternately constraining and releasing said mechanism including a double-faced cam constantly rotated by the clock mechanism, each of the faces having a-groove thereon, an alarm setting shaft extending through said cam and on which the cam is slidably and rotatably mounted, a pair of dogs secured to said shaft adjacent, and respectively cooperating with, each of thefaces of the cam, said dogs being predeterminedly positioned by said alarm setting shaft, a shifter engaging saidcam-and controlled thereby, locking-means between said shifter and hammer, said locking means normally preventing actuation of the hammer to strike the gong and said locking means releasing the hammer to strike the gong upon engagement of one of the dogs in the groove of its adjacent cam face, hand operated means for relocking the shifter to the hammer to stop the initial actuation of the hammer, said hammer being again freed of the-shifter to again strike the gong upon continued rotation of the cam and engagement of the second dog with the groove in theadjacent cam face, and additional hand means for immobilizing the hammer upon its second actuation.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the cam is provided with an undercut portion forming shoulders on each side thereof, and the shifter has an elongated opening straddling the undercut portion, whereby the shifter alternately contacts the shoulders upon rotation of the cam and issuccessively shifted thereby to release the hammer to strike the gong, as aforesaid.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2-wherein the cam is provided with an undercut portion forming shoulders on'each sidethereof, and the shifterhas an elongated opening straddling the undercut portion whereby the shifter alternately contacts-the shoulders upon rotation of the cam and is successively shifted thereby to release the hammer to strike the gong, as aforesaid;

ROBERT GARY.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 3 Name Date 1,228,039 1 Meikle May 29, 191-! 1,913,498 McParlan June13, 1933 1,928,040 Windesheim' -a Sept; 26, 1933 2,033,251 Olian Mar. 10,1936 2,491,103 Gallagher Dec. 13, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date' 326,264 Germany Sept. 25, 1920 

